A Tragedy On Christmas Day
by TheAkAtSuKiKid
Summary: Christmas couldn't be any better for Ichigo, his family is happy, he got some awesome presents and all going great until a phone call from Tatsuki's changed everything. But is everything is not simple as it seems...What does the Soul Society have to do with Inoue's death? Things take a dark turn and Ichigo's not going to quit he's not going to lose her again!


_**HEY EVERYONE! I'M BACK! **_

_**Again, yeah I know, where have I been... Well everywhere! So I haven't been writing/tying a lot! o.o So this idea has been half written for a while and I was like must finish it! I have a to-do list after posting this! **_

_**1) Update ~ Raising a family Ichihime style 2) Update ~ A not so relaxing holiday (Newish story) 3) Either update ~ Byakuya's babysitting service or post my new stories I have a few 4) Do what I haven't done on number three 5) Final make a sequel to Rejection**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach **_

_**Warning: Possible OCCness, spelling/grammar errors but I do try people. **_

_** ENJOY! R&R! **_

* * *

It was December, a cold one at that.

Snow covered all of Karakura town! Though the kids seemed to enjoy it making snowmen, snowball fights and snow angels. They would spent hours out in the cold all wrapped up before going back into their nicely warmed houses greeted by over worried mothers and chuckling fathers.

But not today, today was a special day in December. Yep the 25th of December, Christmas day! Which meant presents Christmas dinner, more presents, family games, annoying soppy repetitive films, oh and did I mention presents?

It was Ichigo's favourite day of the year

Unfortunately for Ichigo, he was currently being forced to watch on of said annoying soppy repetitive films by his father, it was only about 10 minutes into said film and Yuzu was already sobbing, their father being over dramatic as usual while Karin merely rolled her eyes, he couldn't help but give a small smile.

It was Christmas day, what wasn't there to be happy about? He had gotten some awesome gifts off both family and friends, which got him wondering what we're his friends up too. He hadn't seen them since they left school for the holidays two weeks ago. Ishida was with his father probably reading some book and doing the holiday homework while in his father resort abroad, Chad was off in Mexico to see some relatives Tatsuki was having a huge family party which she really wasn't too happy about and Inoue well he didn't know but he guessed she was okay, this was Inoue we're talking about, if she ever need anything, all she would have to do was come straight to him or the others… Yuzu wailed out again at some soppy scene which drew his attention off his friends and back onto the film.

Christmas days are one of the happiest days of the year!

* * *

For most anyway…

"P-please sir" Orihime begged tears running down her face landing in the snow next to her feet which was only covered by some soaked though socks. The man unsympathetic to the girl's pleas just chuckled and smirked.

"No way in hell" He spat at her, Orihime sniffed as a new set of tears poured from her eyes, the snow was started to gather on face and cloths.

He smirked at the simply distress at the young girl, who looked freezing in her lack of cloths for the current time of year. Not like he cared anyway, actually he quite like seeing her pain, suffering and desperation. He mental laughed knowing he would probably go to hell for this but at the moment he could care less, plus the apartment looked pretty warm and there was a few present left under a small tree unwrapped.

"You should have paid you're rent little girl" He remarked looking around the content of the flat. Orihime sniffled again wiping her eyes and she shuddered from the cold her thin jacket was no protection from the harsh cold of the winter the wetness of the snow had long since soaked though the thin socks she wore.

"Bu-ut you put up the rent and my auntie couldn't afford it…" Orihime explained while rubbing her bare hands trying to keep them warm, her knee's shaking and feet frozen.

"Plu-us you said I had a month before I had to leave-e…It's only been a week" Orihime added, his smirked widened menacingly.

"Well tough, I changed my mind. Now leave the property." He ordered, Orihime heart sank, it was only 1 degree out there, it was freezing and she was only wearing a thin jacket and t-shirt some socks and a pair of trousers, since she was literally thrown out of her flat merely five minutes ago unaware and unprepared.

"But it's Christmas day" Orihime begged with nowhere else to go, or go to, knowing everyone else was having a great Christmas and she didn't want to interrupt their days by bugging them, knowing that they wouldn't have a day like this for another 365 days.

"And? Go whined to your parents" The man shot back uncaring, Orihime sniffled again, though this time she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the bad memories she had of her parents or the death of her brother or being along all the time …She really wasn't sure.

"I haven't seen my parent's in 12 years" Orihime replied shiver like a leaf, her hair pins covered in snow, her poor little fairies friends were probably freezing as well. Orihime felt so bad for putting them through it.

The man merely laughed insanely, oh this day couldn't be going any better for him, yes he was a very, very twisted man and he liked it, oh the power to evict tenants at will leaving them homeless and powerless while he stood there powerful and wealthy.

"Oh so your parents didn't want you either? Ha!" He spat in her face, Orihime stood there freezing as he tried her hardest not to shake but her body was against her, her teeth chattering as she rubbed her hands up and down her jacket in an attempt to keep warm, she was freezing.

"Now get off my property…Now!" The man shouted angrily and threateningly, so much so that Orihime took a step back, though as much as her feet didn't want to her fear won over. She was about to turn and run but then remember something and looked at the man pleadingly again.

"Please can I get my things?" Orihime begged, he laughed again.

"No"

"But-t I don't even have any shows on…Can I at least get some money and better cloths on" She begged the man shaking from the pure cold, he merely rolled his eyes.

"No means no girl…No wonder your parent didn't want you" He remarked, Orihime whimpered from the harsh comment but still kept going.

"Please then let me take that picture with me…" She begged while pointing to the picture in the living room. The man turned his head and glimpsed at the picture then grunted.

"Why, it looks like a good ashtray to me." He stated smirking. Orihime eyes widened in horror, in a state of total hysterics and without thinking ran up to the man and grabbed hold of his shoulder shaking him.

"No! You can't! Sora's my brother! I won't let yo-"

…_Slap…_

The next thing Orihime knew she had a stinging pain on her face and arms and left leg, she was now lying, bleeding in the freezing snow now far from the metal stairs that lead to her apartment.

"Tch" The men wiped the blood of the side of his hands on his trousers that had happened when his ring had made connect with her face sending Orihime not only away from him but down the stairs which was unprofessionally finished and had sharp edges which had severally cut Orihime on her way down, not that the man was bothered in the slightest, a professional would have cost money, lots of money, he got this all cheap plus she wasn't a tenant any more so it was no concern of him.

Orihime coughed and slowly sat up, shivering, the snow around her was bloody and blood was trickling down he check and she was in pain, freezing, scared and horrified. The man took one step out of the flat, the snow crunch from underneath his shoes.

"You dare come anywhere near me again you bitch and I'll show you pain like you've never imagined" The man threatened with a sneer scaring Orihime even more, tear flooded her eyes, mixing with the blood the blood on the way down.

"NOW LEAVE!" He shouted, Orihime jumped up and ran scared, hurt and lonely, ignoring the intense amount of pain from her cuts or the coldness of the snow and ran, she also didn't notice the signal hair pin sticking out in the snow next to where she had fell half covered in blood…

* * *

Luckily for Ichigo after two and a half hours later the movie finished which meant it was chill time, which also meant he could go up to his room and relax and enjoy a few hours peace before dinner and his father forcing them to play family games.

Ichigo's head had just hit the pillow when his phone went off.

_Ring, ring…Ring, ring…_

Groaning and turning over he decided to ignore it, it probably wasn't important anyway.

_Ring, ring….Ring, ring…Ring, ring_

Whoever it was they were damn persistent, Ichigo thought while trying to ignore it.

_Ring, ring…Ring, ring…_

Ichigo growled and turned back over, it had better be good to disturb his quiet time.

"What" Ichigo snapped, answering the phone.

"Hello to you too Ichigo" That voice belong to none other than Tatsuki, it somewhat shocked and embarrassed Ichigo to have snapped at her and by the sound of her voice was she wasn't too happy at the moment either.

"Why would you of all people be calling me on Christmas day? Shouldn't you be calling Inoue or something?" Ichigo questioned raising an eye brow even though he knew she couldn't see it, he curios though. He heard he give a sad sigh.

"Well you see that's the problem… I tried calling her many times, as you know she all alone. I wanted to check up on her and see how she's doing but she won't pick up, so I asked my mum to see if I can go an check up on her but she won't let me…You're house is closet Ichigo…" Tatsuki explained, Ichigo was shocked to say the least.

Why Inoue wasn't picking up?

"And you want me to go see if she's okay?" Ichigo questioned back though he already knew.

"Please, Ichigo…Something doesn't feel right" Tatsuki replied desperately. That clinched it, if Tatsuki sounded that worried, then why makes her worry and on Christmas of all days, plus it would be good to make sure Inoue was alright as Tatsuki had said she was all alone for Christmas…

"Okay Tatsuki, when I get there I'll tell her to call you back" Ichigo replied, Tatsuki thanked him before he hung up. After make a quick excuse to his family, he was out the door and off too Inoue's.

Orihime finally stopped running when the pain finally become over bearing , she had ran far, far away from that horrible man, though the blood hadn't stopped and she was freezing and feeling week, she decided to lean against a wall on an alleyway, breathing deeply pressing her hands against a couple of the wounds.

She shivered as tears poured down her face, the wounds still bleeding badly. Her breaths were viable due to the cold and short as she was struggling to breathe, keep warm at the same time while bleeding was very difficult. She tugged the jacket tighter around her arms, it might be thin but it was probably the only thing keeping her from freezing to death before she decided what to do next and gain her strength back.

It was minute later of just sitting there her thinking was disturbed by barking? Well it sounded more like a squeak then a bark, then more started and repeatedly and nearby. Orihime got curios and stood up using her remaining strength to search out the source of the barking.

After moving to near the alleyway there was a lot of rubbish covered in show and rust but then there was this newish looking box just dumped their, Orihime walked towards the box the barking got louder and more. She carefully opened the lid of the box to see three puppies sat their all alone and shivering, freezing from the cold that they'd been abandoned in, they all jumped up the side of the box nearest to Orihime while barking, she gasped wondering who would leave these poor defenceless little puppies here. The poor puppies looked freezing…

* * *

Ichigo was brooding on the way over to Inoue's. He was freezing, he would never admit it but he might have underdressed a little for the season also he was getting hungry.

There had better be a good reason for her not to be picking up Tatsuki's calls, then again if it was just Inoue being her ditzy self or haven fallen asleep that would have been better, as much as Ichigo would scold her, he would be more relieved than if anything had happened to her, especially after the Hueco Mundo incident.

The only good thing about the whole war was the fact that Renji finally got the balls to ask Rukia out…And well she literally threw herself at him shouting yes, then kissed his face off then socked him in the check for not asking sooner well that was before he fainted and unable to see them anyway…

He started get an uneasy feeling when he reached the street of her apartment, so much though that he picked up his pace and started jogging.

He froze when he got to the straits, Tatsuki's had always said that these steps where dangerous. His throat tightened when he saw the blood stained snow, he ran up the door banging on it.

"Inoue?! Inoue?! Are you in there?! Are you okay?!" He shouted while banging on the door, something in his heart sank and broke the idea of her hurt in anyway sent his mind in a spiral of depression but now wasn't the time he needed to find Inoue!

He kept banging and shouting until the door swung open, a wave of relief flew though him, thought if only for a split second at seeing who answered.

"Who the hell are you?" Ichigo exclaimed loudly and angrily the man glared.

"I was about to ask you the same question kid, who do you think you are making so much noise…And look you nearly broke down my door!" The man exclaimed thought Ichigo took no notices as he was searching for any sign of Orihime.

"Where's Inoue?!" Ichigo question in a very threaten voice while grabbing the front of his shirt which shocked the man who eventually smirk.

"Oh that little bitch I evicted earlier? I don't know probably dying somewhere…I slapped her pretty damn hard" He commented, Ichigo froze again at the sentence…_Bitch, evicted, dying, somewhere, slapped her… _Those words kept repeating around his head making him angrier and angrier. So much that he snapped and grabbed the man up by his collar and slammed him up against the wall of the apartment.

"Tell me where's Inoue is now, before I do something I regret" Ichigo order viciously, his voice low , this time the man wasn't so cocky, even without his powers Ichigo could be extremely threatening and scary.

"I-I don't know, af-fter I hit he-er she ran off" The man stuttered scared for his life, this time the roles had been reversed. The next thing he knew he had been slammed into the apartment everything looked hazy. He will remember that glare for the rest of his life; it was almost as if he was pure evil… Those eyes…Who the hell was this kid?

"You better hope she's okay or well let's just say you won't want to know" Ichigo threatened while turning to leave he saw a piece of paper on the floor? It wasn't a very well kept it had all these burn marks in it. He leant down to pick it up and unfolded and froze again. He was so tempted to go back there and kick that guy's ass to high hell.

He stared at the paper, it was actually a picture…Of Sora Inoue, thought you wouldn't be able to tell as it had been burn thought many time on the face. Ichigo guess he used it as an ash tray. He gripped the paper before he started running following the faint footprints left in the snow. So fast that he missed a certain flower clip sticking up in the snow…

"I'm coming Inoue" Ichigo said as he ran, hoping that she was alright and somewhere safe or he'd never forgive himself…

She looked at the puppies, they we're so cute! But then reminded herself that she needed to focus, she scooped up the closets puppy shakily as her hands were freezing and stiff. It was as nearly cold as her! Orihime started coughing, held the puppy close to her as she tried to calm herself down. Finally when the cough had calmed down she placed the puppy back in the box and it went back to barking and next to the other two, jumping up the side of the box.

It brought a tear to her eye that someone would be as evil as to leave these puppies here out in the cold. She knew they wouldn't survive if they we're left in the cold with nothing, so she made the decision. She slipped her jacket off and wrapped it around the three puppies while hugging them against her chest to share her body heat.

It was about 10 minutes of Orihime just standing there with the puppies, her cough had returned a few times, her cuts had luckily stopped bleeding but were still a source of intense pain, her arms were now freezing along with the rest of her body.

"I can't believe I have to go to his house!" A women voice exclaimed somewhere close, Orihime jolted the pain surged through here body. Orihime slipped the puppies back in the box tightly in the jacket. Then Orihime ran towards the voice ignoring all the pain, she was half way back, her vision blacked out and she started to fall…

She didn't know long after she fell that she came back to conciseness, all she knew was that her body felt heavy, she was in a lot of pain, all alone, freezing and that she had to help the puppies.

"H-help" She begged but it barley came out as a whisper; she tried to pull herself forward but could hardly move her whole body was frosted and the snow hadn't let out, she was nearly covered. Then an idea came to mind, why didn't she just heal herself, Orihime would have hit herself on her head, she reached with everything she had and grasped the first then realising the other wasn't there, she smiled softly and laughed but it came out as more of a cough.

She could hear the puppies barking like normal; at least they were warmer now she thought with a smile as her eyes slowly closed her breaths we're getting shorter and shorter by the second.

* * *

Ichigo ran, ran like he never had before.

"Please be okay Inoue" Ichigo begged to himself as he ran following the footprints which were becoming really hard to follow because of the relentless snowfall.

The trail stopped for Ichigo at the front of an alley which meant either her footprints had been covered by the snow or she was down there. He would have kept going if it wasn't for the blood stains on the side of the wall which he hoped to go wasn't Inoue's…

"INOUE!" He shouted as he ran down the alleyway, he was just about half way down when he stopped instantly, shocked, his heart dropped, he was badly able to think straight never mind form words.

He had found Inoue laying their face down, covered in snow which some was red from blood loss, one of her arms was reaching out, the other was near touching her hair clip.

He couldn't tell is she was even alive but refused to believe she was dead.

He flung himself next to her cradling her neck in his hands. Be as careful as he could but his hands were shaking… She wouldn't leave him would she?

"Inoue…Inoue… Come on Inoue, speak to me" The desperation in his voice was evident, he waited a couple of minutes softly stroking her head and her eyes fluttered open barley though.

"Kur-kur-saki-kun?" Orihime questioned very audible but he heard it, Ichigo eyes brightened seeing her speak to him.

"Yes, Inoue, it me…Don't worry everything will be okay, I'll just call someone an-"Ichigo was cut off.

"N-o don-n't, ther-re no need to-o…I'll-l be de-ead befo-re they-y get her-e any-yway…" Orihime stated, coughing badly. Ichigo shocked but refused to give in.

"What the hell Inoue! Don't say stuff like that! You'll make it out of this you'll see" Ichigo exclaimed throwing his arms in the air.

"I ca-n-n se-e her Kur-osaki-kun…I can see he-r… Ru-ukia…She-s waiting for me-e" Orihime replied with a slight smile, Ichigo growled his grip tightened, he spun his head all around looking for her but was unsuccessful.

"You better go back right now Rukia! Inoue isn't a soul yet and not going to become one! You hear me!" Ichigo shouted to nothingness as he was unable to see spirits anymore but knew she was here somewhere.

He got no reply…

"I-I los-t my oth-her pi-n… "She stuttered sadly as Ichigo finally noting the lack of other pin and didn't dare show her the picture of her brother as he thought as how heartbroken she would be if she saw it.

"Don't worry Inoue I'll find it later, just hold on" Ichigo stated as he looked around for anyone that could help as it seems Rukia wasn't going to help, which infuriated him further that she would just watcher Inoue die like this.

"Ku-ursak-i-kun…"Orihime called his attention back to her, she coughed badly again, her breathing slowed and her eye lid was dropping. Ichigo wasn't going to let her die, not her, not Inoue!

"I n-ee-d to tel-l you som-ething Ku-rs-aki-kun" She stuttered badly, hardly able to breath him, he blinked wondering what she could possibly need to tell him at a time like this.

"Sure"

"I lo-ve you Ic-hgo-kun" She finally admitted using his first name which obviously shocked poor Ichigo to the core that he froze up.

"I'm-m sorry to have ruin-ed you-r Christmas Ichig-o-kun" She apologised extremely quietly but she was still smiling; Ichigo in his shocked state at the last admission nearly didn't hear it.

"Inoue…" Ichigo said replied but got no reply. He panicked.

"Inoue?"…Nothing….

"Inoue?!" …Still nothing…

He felt around for a pulse and found nothing, he tried to recall anything his father might have told him when he been lectured but his brain was coming up blank.

"No"

"…No…"

"Come on Inoue!"

"Please Inoue"

"…Orihime…"

A signal tear slid down his check and landed on the side of Orihime's face but that one tear was followed by many…

His gripped tightened around her dead body, denying any thought of her leaving him, Tatsuki, all their friends…

"You dare come anywhere near her, be able to see you or not, I will kick your ass to high hell Rukia so stay away from her!" Ichigo exclaimed venomously.

Rukia didn't move from her place above the alleyway, she did as she was ordered, not to get involved in Orihime Inoue's death and stay away Ichigo Kurosaki; those were her orders by the Head Captain personally. A signal tear slid down her eye… She couldn't bear to watch Orihime go through so much pain while she just watched and she knew that she knew she was watching and still went on. She would find Orihime's soul a little later on in the day. As she turned to leave she let something go from her hand that she'd been holding, letting if fall right in the snow next to Orihime and Ichigo, it was a flowered hair clip with dried blood on the edge.

Ichigo saw the hair clip as soon as it hit the snow and snatched it up.

"See Orihime I told you I'd find it…" He said quietly as he carefully lifted her head and slid in the hair clip while checking out her injures. Ichigo swore down that he was going to kill that man, or seriously injure at the least but that would have to be done later as he didn't have the energy or will to move. That was until he heard some slight whimpering which didn't catch his attention until it started getting louder and turned into a small barking sound; Ichigo gently laid Orihime's head back down though reluctant and slowly made his way over to a noisy box. He peered over the box to see thee puppies snuggles up in a thin jacket which looked familiar, it wasn't until he caught sight of the tag and the letters **_OI_** that he remember where he'd seen it before, it was Orihime's. It didn't take it long before he deducted that Orihime had given the puppy the jacket to keep them warm and had tried to go to get them help but fell and couldn't get back up. He grabbed his phone and sent a text to his dad.

_Come into town please…_

That was the only thing he put and moved the box nearer to him and Orihime and waited.

"Why didn't you come straight to me" He whispered, fiddling with the picture of Sora. He didn't dare imagine how much she'd suffered while she was lying there or how long she'd been lying their alone. Tears continued to pour down his face as he just stood there freeze looking at Orihime's dead body not wanting to leave…

"You know Orihime, I hope you're okay with me calling you that-" He said out loud knowing that her soul was somewhere close but he couldn't see her, he was glad though because he knew he wouldn't be able to bear it if he could.

"- I once had a dream… It was on the night you were taken to Hueco Mundo that you we're in my room…" He said as we leaned against the alleyway wall looking up at the sky as the snow landing on his face with tears still rolling down his face.

"…You we're talking to me, about random things then you went on to something more serious about how you love me and for five life times… You told me you loved me and nearly kissed me but it was just a dream when I woke up you were gone, I was so disappointed when I woke up" He gave a sad smile as he lent down to kneel next to her body.

"Now I know. It was just a dream, it really was you…" He whispered.

"I love you Orihime Inoue" He said as he planted a kiss on her forehead, as tears fell down his face he swore that he felt like someone was wiping his tears away, it must have been Orihime, he face away from her body as he heard his father calling him.

"Good bye Orihime..." He whispered as he started walking away.

He walked to the end of the alleyway and didn't look up, his father was out of breath and gave him a look of pure sympathy and sorrow as they passed each other, Ichigo guessed he must have sensed something was wrong after the text that or someone told him, either way he didn't look up and just walked past him. God knows how Tatsuki was going to react…

A signal tear fell down his face and landed in the snow as he walked to onto nowhere.

Christmas was no longer Ichigo's favourite day…

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! :D Please tell me what you think :) **_

_**Hichigo: I'M NOT IN THIS STORY EITHER! **_

_** Shut up! You'll appear in the sequel rejection**_

_**Hichigo: Score!**_

_***Rolls eyes* Anyway... Have a nice day! **_

_** Over and Out! **_


End file.
